Microsoft shares terrifying new use for AI

Ever since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 kicked off the current artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, many people have considered one question: how afraid should we be of this technology?

For decades, the hypothetical dangers of AI have served as a trope for science fiction literature and film, which often depicted a robot uprising. But recent advances in the technology have led to speculation that this dystopian future may not actually be so far away.

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When people discuss fears regarding AI, though, it is commonly within the context of chatbots replacing human workers, a trend that continues to spread throughout certain industries. When companies lay off workers, it is often with plans to streamline production by further implementing AI tools.

For some, though, these AI fears may be about to get extremely real. Microsoft  (MSFT)  has announced something that threatens to usher in a future many people have been dreading.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is focused on pushing agentic AI to transform the modern office.

Image source: Ben Kriemann/Getty Images

Microsoft has made a chilling announcement regarding its AI plans

As AI has evolved in recent years, many experts have speculated as to how it will shape the modern workplace. With the jobs previously done by humans being automated away and AI tools changing the way other tasks are conducted, most industries are changing rapidly.

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However, Microsoft is eyeing a future in which AI does more than tasks such as data organization and customer service. The tech leader recently released a report in which it lays out a detailed vision for how it sees AI shaping the future of work, specifically within its own ranks.

In the three-part report based on surveys from 31,000 workers across more than 30 countries, Microsoft predicts what it describes as “the rise of the agent boss,” something that office workers have likely joked about for years. Essentially, this refers to a future in which many jobs have been replaced by AI and humans manage teams of these bots.

Microsoft makes it clear throughout the report that it believes AI agents — software systems designed to closely mimic human behavior and assist humans with daily tasks — will usher in a fundamental shift in how the modern office is constructed and how companies deliver services.

“To maximize the impact of these human-agent teams, organizations need a new metric: the human-agent ratio,” the report states. “Leaders must ask two critical questions: How many agents are needed for which roles and tasks? And how many humans are needed to guide them?”

Citing a study from Harvard University, it notes that an individual worker using AI typically outperforms a colleague working without it by a significant margin. The study found something that may be even more alarming to the modern worker, though: a team with all AI workers tends to produce the highest-quality work.

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These results likely aren’t surprising to experts who are following the evolution of agentic AI and watching its progress as a supplement to modern offices. But for workers in many industries, they may seem like the beginning of the end, as they are forced to either pivot to managing AI agents or be phased out of their field.

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The fact that Microsoft, a company that has opted for multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years, is publishing a report like this suggests that other tech companies have similar visions for their futures. If that happens, these changes could overtake entire industries in a relatively short period.

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Microsoft indeed claims that embracing the human-agent ratio will create some new jobs while eliminating others. It is unclear if the number of new positions created will outweigh the number eliminated, likely a question on the minds of many who read the report.

“The vision reflects a larger bet by the company — and other tech giants — on the emerging world of AI agents,” reports GeekWire. “Unlike basic chatbots, AI agents can reason, plan, and act with a degree of autonomy, completing tasks with limited human input.”

The ultimate takeaway is that Microsoft is fully committed to helping usher in the rise of AI agents, creating a world in which they are no longer simply a tool. What remains unknown is how long it will take for companies to start fully trusting AI with important tasks that have previously only been done by human workers. 

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